Dr Monisha Ghosh: US Govt Federal Communications Commission's First Woman CTO

Monisha Ghosh, an Indian-American, has been honoured with the post of Chief Technology Officer—the first woman to hold the position— at the US government's powerful Federal Communications Commission (FCC). In a first, Dr Ghosh will be advising FCC Chairman Ajit Pai. Her job will be overseeing technology and engineering issues at the agency, and she will work closely with the Office of Engineering and Technology in solving various matters. Replacing the previous CTO Dr Eric Burger, Ghosh will start off the history-making journey on January 13 next year.

“As the FCC moves aggressively to advance American leadership in 5G, Dr Ghosh’s deep technical knowledge of wireless technologies will be invaluable,” said Chairman Pai. “Dr. Ghosh has both conducted and overseen research into cutting-edge wireless issues in academia and industry,” Pai added.

Key Takeaways:

• Indian-American Dr Monisha Ghosh has been appointed as the first woman Chief Technology Officer at FCC
• Her job will be overseeing technology and engineering issues at the agency, and she will work closely with the Office of Engineering and Technology. Ghosh will take charge on January 13 next year
• “I am proud that Dr Ghosh will be the FCC’s first female CTO, and hope her example inspires young women everywhere to consider careers in STEM fields,” said FCC Chairman Ajit Pai

Ghosh brings a wide range of experience as before this she has worked in broadcast standards, medical telemetry and the Internet of Things. Ghosh is becoming the senior technology expert at the FCC. “t bears noting that this is an historic appointment,” said Pai. “I am proud that Dr Ghosh will be the FCC’s first female CTO, and hope her example inspires young women everywhere to consider careers in STEM fields.”

Dr Burger, on the other hand, has serviced at the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy since October. Ghosh takes the chair next year.

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The journey so far

According to the FCC, Dr Ghosh has served as a rotating program director at the National Science Foundation since 2017. She majored in the Computer and Network System Division within the Directorate of Computer and Information Science and Engineering, according to TV Technology.com. There, her job was to manage the core wireless research portfolio and special programs like Machine Learning for Wireless Networking Systems. She is also a research professor at the University of Chicago where she conducts research on wireless technologies for the Internet of Things, 5G cellular, next-gen Wi-Fi systems and spectrum coexistence, the agency said. She is considered the best in the industry.

“Dr Ghosh has done outstanding work during her time at the National Science Foundation (NSF),” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF's acting Assistant Director for Computer Information Science and Engineering.

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“As a program director within our Division of Computer and Network Systems, she has contributed to programs supporting advanced wireless research including innovative uses for spectrum and wireless spectrum sharing. We congratulate Dr Ghosh on her appointment as Federal Communications Commission's Chief Technology Officer; we know the Nation will benefit from her technical expertise in wireless networks,” added Gianchandani

Having an illustrious career so far, Ghosh has worked at Interdigital, Philips Research and Bell Laboratories on wireless system, including the HDTV broadcast standard, the FCC said.

A technology expert, Ghosh received her Ph.D. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Southern California in 1991, and her B. Tech from the Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur (India) in 1986. She is a Fellow of the IEEE.

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Feature Image Credit: Dainik Bhaskar

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